1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to protecting, guarding and sealing a selected portion of a publication and, more particularly, is concerned with apparatus and method for providing such a guard and seal so that the content of the publication thus guarded and sealed cannot be viewed without first removing the guard by breaking the sealing part of the protector.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For many years, books, booklets, magazines and various other forms of printed materials and/or publications have been packaged in a manner such that the whole of the publication is enclosed inside the protective packaging envelope which may consist of a paper jacket, a closely fitting plastic wrapping, various forms of bands wrapped around the publication in either direction, the latter being kept flat, made into a tubular shape or, in some instances folded. If the wrapping is made of clean, transparent plastic, the contents of only the external surfaces of the front and back covers are visible and made viewable and/or readable. If the wrapping protects most of the cover areas and is not rendered transparent, even the content of the external surfaces of the front and back covers cannot be viewwed without first breaking and/or removing the wrapping. If a viewing window is cut in the wrapping or made transparent, only small sections of the external surfaces of the front and back covers are revealed for examination by potential purchasers.
Two main methods are extensively used for marketing printed material to the public on the "sampling" approach: (1) the first is based on exposing the material to the public viewing for a quick on-the-spot evaluation of the publication content, which is supposed to adequately motivate impulse buyers; and (2) the second is based on making the material available to potential purchasers for review and evaluation during a specified limited period of time, usually including a "satisfaction guaranteed or money back" contractual clause to which the potential purchaser has somehow tacitly agreed. Practically, such a clause constitutes solely a sales gimmick and is seldom used properly and legitimately by either of the parties who may later assume adverse positions in a dispute. Both marketing methods have serious drawbacks. The first invites undesirable loafers to stand around magazine racks and/or book displays reading the material without buying, the second contains built-in sources of difficulties that may lead to dissatisfaction, resentment, frustration and/or unpleasant experiences, time and money lost, and generally a mistrust of the "full satisfaction or money back" approach to publication promoting. This mistrust eliminates the possibility of many genuine sales that otherwise could be made and may hamper the success of such promotion efforts.
Consequently, a need exists for improvements in the presentation approach used to expose printed material to the public in a manner such that: (1) enough publication printed material is made readily accessible to potential buyers, for review and evaluation prior to purchasing; and (2) a simple inexpensive physical means is available for providing unequivocally and unambiguously whether the whole of the publication has or has not been viewed in its entirety.